Recreation Board discusses new fitness court on trail system and expansion of pickleball courts

The Oxford Recreation Board discussed updates to its capital budget plan of goals for 2026, including the addition of new fitness courts on the Oxford Area Trail System (OATS) and the expansion of pickleball courts at the TRI Community Center, at its meeting on July 14. 

The board had previously submitted a draft of its budget plan to the city for approval. At the July meeting, Director of Parks and Recreation Chad Smith provided updates on the plan and gave an overview of the key goals for the board in 2026. 

One major project in the capital budget plan is a fitness court. Smith said UC Health offered grant funding for the outdoor fitness court and that multiple locations along OATS are being discussed. The court would be similar in size to a basketball court. 

“The installation of fitness courts is something that Mayor Snavely and myself and Doug Elliot have [talked about],” Smith said. “That’s like a concrete pad with permanent structures where you can do pilates, you can do some light fitness, but the advantage is it’s pretty sustainable. You don’t have to work on rusted equipment.”

Another project described at the meeting was the expansion of pickleball courts at the TRI Community Center. The TRI currently houses four pickleball courts, but as the sport continues to grow in popularity each year, Smith said the city has a good opportunity to address the increasing local demand. 

“There’s a lot of demand for pickleball, and the lines at the TRI will tell you that every day,” Smith said. “That’s also a reservable facility that we have a lot of demand for. We thought it’d be an opportunity to expand pickleball at the TRI.

The board’s goals for 2026 include creating a comprehensive plan to replace the city’s playgrounds. Smith said projects involving playgrounds are complex, but the board wants to have a strategic plan to replace playgrounds as they age out. 

Another sports-related topic discussed at the meeting involved the growing popularity of sports leagues in Oxford and the opportunities to partner with sports leagues. 

Miami Little League, a youth baseball and softball league for kids aged 4-14, finished its season recently, and Smith said it was a success. He also said the league has offered to partner with the city to make improvements to the facilities at Oxford Community Park, such as a new dugout fence. 

Other sports leagues in town, such as the youth soccer and flag football leagues, have also continued to see high participation. These sports offer a long-term goal for the board to work towards, which is further expanding the town’s parks and fields to accommodate more sports. 

Dr. Adam Beissel, a member of the board and an associate professor at Miami University, brought up the possibility of a new demand for flag football in Oxford, as Cincinnati has seen a growth in participation for the sport.

“Oftentimes, in the thick of fall and spring, there’s not enough fields,” Beissel said. “That park was built before flag football was even a thing. Now it’s yet another sport that needs to fit around soccer and baseball. How do we create almost a dedicated flag football space?”

Also at the meeting, the board agreed to meet with the TRI Board on a quarterly basis instead of annually. The two boards previously held a joint meeting every January to discuss collaborative projects, such as the Parks and Recreation comprehensive strategic plan. 

The Recreation Board will next meet on Aug. 11 at noon in the municipal building.